Denesting apparatus



June 28, 1966 w. s. PEPPLER DENESTING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 20, 1963 INVENTOR, MAL/AM 5 Pzppzse BY 4m. ULT-loclcs ATTORNEY June 28, 1966 w. s. PEPPLER DENESTING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 20, 1965 INVENTOR,

Mam/w .5 PEP/945E l llllullln BY L NZL b3. FLoclcs ATTORNEY June 28, 1966 w. s. PEPPLER DENESTING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 20, 1965 m w T N w 5 S m K n i w c A P w E t 5 w M u M m m m r II. M. Q. a: 2: .5, w: a: 3, A fi b E. n we 5: r1, w s 5; EFQE m. n E v a: a 21 .5 H w ,5 am 1 June 28, 1966 w. s. PEPPLER DENESTING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Aug. 20, 1963 'IIIlIIIIIIIIIIIIII/l'l'lc'l INVENTOR, Mum/v 5. PEPPZEZ mm. b6. FLocKS ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,258,155 DENESTING APPARATUS William S. Peppler, Chappaqua, N.Y., assignor to Diamond International Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 20, 1963, Ser. No. 303,303 9 Claims. (Cl. 221-36) This invention relates generally to dispensing apparatus and more particularly to an improved denesting apparatus, particularly adapted to dispense nested articles such as molded pulp egg cartons, food trays, etc.

The general character of the articles to be denested and dispensed one-by-one is that they have deformable side walls which will be displaced off at least one support ledge disposed in the vertical path of travel of a vertical stack of articles.

There is considerable difference in dimension, size, wall height, etc, in different articles used in packaging different commodities, and one of the objects of the present invention is to provide an improved versatile denesting apparatus accommodating a wide variety of different dimensioned articles.

Additionally, in production line activities, i.e., for packaging fruit, vegetables, etc., it is necessary to dispose the denested articles in an upward opening position on a conveyor, for example, and another object of the present invention is to provide denesting apparatus which will deposit a single article in a proper oriented position.

Due to side wall height variation of the articles being denested, another object of the present invention is to provide in the improved apparatus denesting blade means convertible to afford different side wall deforming functions in relation to the type of articles being denested.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide in an improved denesting apparatus means coordinating operation of denesting blade and article transport means.

Another object of the present invention is to provide novel vacuum control means coordinated with operation of article transport means utilizing suction cup means for retaining an article in a position for subsequent reorientation and deposition from the position at which it was originally denested or removed from a stack.

These, together with other vand more specific objects of the invention, will become apparent from a consideration of the following description of an exemplary embodiment when taken together with the drawings forming a part thereof, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the novel apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the apparatus with a portion of the article-hopper bars removed;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, partial vertical section taken substantially on the plane of line 33 of FIG. 1, showing by means of phantom lines the article-discharge position of the article transport means, and showing the lowermost article deformed off a support lip by means of a denesting blade alternatively shown by means of phantom lines;

FIG. 4 is a further enlarged, fragmentary top plan view taken substantially along the plane of line 44 of FIG. 3, showing details of the denesting blade mechanism;

FIG. 5 is a vertical section taken essentially on the plane of line 55 of FIG. 4, showing alternatively by phantom lines the denesting position of the denesting blade and an article engaged thereby;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary section of the suction cup support tube and illustrating in detail a plug element used therein;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the upper end of the suction cup support tube as shown in FIG. 1, portions being broken away and shown in section,

'ice

and illustrating particularly the vacuum control means of the apparatus; and

FIG. 8 is a section taken substantially on the plane of line 8-8 of FIG. 7, showing details of the vacuum control and 'air inlet ports.

Referring to the drawings in detail, and first considering FIGS. 1-3, the denesting apparatus is indicated generally at 10 and comprises a generally skeletonized support frame 12 overlying an endless conveyor 14, the upper run of which being clearly shown in FIG. 3.

The support frame 12 preferably has mounted thereon power means such as an electrical motor 16 including a laterally extending power output shaft 18 having mounted on the terminal end thereof a gear or sprocket 20 over which is entrained an endless link chain 22.

Mounted on the support frame 12 forwardly of the motor 16 is a drive mechanism indicated generally at 24, which includes a laterally extending driven shaft 26 having secured on the terminal end thereof a driven sprocket 28 over which the chain 22 is entrained. Secured on the other end of the shaft 26 is a diametrically extending mounting element 30 which has pivotally mounted thereon at 32, eccentrically of the axis of rotation of the shaft 26, an adjustable connecting link 34. The link 34 will provide vertical oscillatory movement to an article transport means indicated generally at 36.

The article transport means 36 comprises suitable, inwardly extending support shafts 38 and 40; see FIG. 1, suitably mounted on the support frame 12, having mounted thereon elongated support arms 42 and 44, respectively. The arms 42 and 44 are connected by means of a transverse connecting member 46, and rearwardly thereof is a transverse angle member 48 which is pivotally connected at 50 to the connecting link 34. Rotation of the gear or sprocket 28 will afford vertical oscillatory movement to the arms 42 and 44.

The arms 42 and 44 have fixed at the terminal forward ends thereof suitable bearings 52 and 54 in which is journaled a tubular support shaft 56 which has projecting radially therefrom a pair of tubular support arms 58 terminally plugged at 60 and having a lateral port 62 communicating with the interior of the support shaft 56; see FIG. 7. The tubular support shaft 56 will be intermittently evacuated, as will subsequently be described in detail, and has secured intermediately thereof, see FIG. 6, an expansible plug 64 which includes a solid body element 66 having circumposed thereabout the resilient sealing washer 68 and incorporated in one end thereof a substantially tapered expanding screw 70 for slightly expanding body 66.

The tubular support arms 58 have secured on the terminal ends thereof axially apertured mounting plugs 72 having sealingly secured thereon an apertured, resilient suction cup 74.

Fixedly secured on the tubular support shaft 56, outwardly of the bearing 52 is a substantially semi-circular gear segment 76. Mounted on the support frame 12 concentric to the axis of rotation of the support shaft 56 is a vertically extending, ancuate gear rack 78 in meshed engagement with the semi-circular gear segment 76.

When the arms 42 and 44 are oscillated in the manner previously described and indicated by the arcuate direction arrow in FIG. 3, during downward movement of the arms 42 and 44, the semi-circular gear segment 76 will rotate clockwise, as indicated by the direction arrow thereon resulting in the tubular support arms 58 moving with the shaft 56 from an upwardly directed position to the downwardly directed position shown by dotted lines in FIG. 3.

Considering FIGS. 7 and 8, there is illustrated in detail the vacuum control means which permits vacuum to be directed to the suction cups 74 when the support arms are in the upwardly directed solid line position of FIG. 3 and during portions of rotation thereof, and which ultimately afford the communication of atmospheric pressure within the tubular support tube 56 when the support arms 58 are in the downwardly directed position shown by the phantom lines of FIG. 3.

The vacuum control means comprises an axially bored plug element 80 having a laterally extending passage 82 communicating with an axial passage 84 and including an offset port 86. The plug element 80 will rotate with the shaft 56 due to engagement between the gear segment 75 and gear rack 78. The offset port 86 will intermittently communicate with vacuum and atmospheric pressure, as will be presently described.

Fixed to the arm 44 by means of a suitable support pin 88 is a coupling element 90, and it will be noted that the plug 80 includes an enlarged mounting portion 92 which projects through the coupling element 90. The coupling element includes a tubular mounting stem 94 which is connected to one end of a flexible tube or conduit 96 connected to a suitable source of vacuum, such as a pump or the like (not shown). The coupling element 90 includes an internal passage 98 communicating with the tube 94 and terminating in a lateral passage 100.

Circumposed about portion 92 and juxtaposed on the outer surface of the coupling element 94 is a sealing element 102 engaged by a spring washer 104 and a split, lock ring 106 retains the part in an assembled condition on the shaft 56.

The coupling block 90, see FIG. 8, includes an arcuate vacuum port 108 concentric to the axis of rotation of the hollow shaft 56, and when the port 86 communicates therewith the air within the tubular shaft 56 will be evacuated. This function occurs when the suction cups 74 are disposed beneath the lowermost article A, which are effective to grippingly engage the article for the purpose of reorienting it to the position shown at the lower portion of FIG. 3 to place the article in an upwardly opening position on the run of the conveyor 14.

The coupling block 90 includes an air port 110 communicating with a lateral port 112 opening to the outer surface of the coupling block 90. The port 110 is concentric to the axis of rotation of the shaft 56 and is spaced from the terminal end of the arcuate vacuum port 108, as clearly seen in FIG. 8.

During the major portion of the rotation of shaft 56, vacuum will be present within the tube 56 and accordingly available at the suction cups 74, and after a predetermined amount of rotation the interior of the tube 56 will communicate with atmospheric pressure through the ports 110, 112 to accordingly permit the articles A to be deposited on the conveyor.

The support frame 12 is substantially skeletonized, and has pivotally mounted at 113 a vertically adjustable support frame 114 which has mounted thereon an article hopper indicated generally at 116, a fixed support lip 118, and denesting mechanism indicated generally at 120.

The adjustable frame 114 has threadedly mounted at the forward end thereof a manually adjustable abutment screw 122 which terminates in a lower abutment block 124 engageable with a forwardly projecting fixed abutment portion 126 suitably mounted on the frame 12; see FIGS. 2 and 3.

The frame 114 will be adjusted to insure proper engagement of the suction cup 74 with the under surface of the lowermost article A, as is clearly evident in FIG. 3.

A mounting plate 128 extends transversely of the support frame 114 and is adjustable longitudinally thereof by means of suitable slots 130 and retaining nut-and-stud assemblies 132. The plate 128 has integral and projecting rearwardly therefrom (the terms forward and rearward being merely relative for purposes of describing the apparatus) the fixed lip 118, and extending vertically therefrom are support rods 134 and 136 forming a part of the hopper means 116. Extending transversely between the rods and integral with plate 128 is a vertically extending guide plate 138 disposed in spaced relation from lip 118 and having an upwardly and outwardly diverging guide lip portion 139 guiding the lowermost articles of a vertical stack S into a proper position within the article hopper means 116.

Extending transversely of the adjustable frame 114 in substantially parallel relationship to the mounting plate 128 is a second mounting plate 143 which is adjustable longitudinally of the frame 114 by means of slots 144 and nut-and-stud assemblies 145. The plate 143 has extending vertically therefrom orienting rods and 142 substantially in opposed relationship to the rods 134 and 136, respectively, and extending transversely between the rods 140 and 142 is a guide plate 147 transversely apert'ured at 146; see FIG. 3. The plate 143 includes a fixed lip portion 148 which will engage beneath the flange portion of the lowermost article A and those thereabove and forms a part of the mechanism 120.

Adjus-tably mounted on the support plate 143 by means of wing nut-and-bolt assemblies 150 is a pair of horizontally disposed support arms 1'52 supporting at the forward terminal ends thereof rods 156 which will engage the outer ends of a stack of articles and maintain them in a vertical stack, the rods 1'56 forming a part of the hopper means 116.

It will be noted that the plate 143 can be formed integrally with the guide plate 144; see FIG. 5.

The denesting means or mechanism 120 comprises a pair of opposed guide plates 158 reciprocably supporting therein the rear portion 160 of a substantially T-shaped denesting blade 162 which will be disposed in justaxposed relation on the plate 143 and have a denesting lip 164 normally retracted rearwardly of the fixed lip 148; see FIG. 5. The blade 162 can be projected through the transverse opening 146, as clearly illustrated in FIG. 5. The blade 162 has formed integrally therewith a mounting stud 168 having a clamp nut 170 mounted thereon for engaging one end 172 of a flexible force-transmitting element 174. The flexible force-transmitting element 174 may be of any suitable character; however, in this exemplary embodiment comprising a Bowden wire including an outer housing 176 suitably clamped at 178 on a mounting plate 180 secured at opposite ends to the guide plates 158; see FIG. 4.

The housing 176 is suitably clamped at 18-2 to the support frame 12, and the rear terminal end 1 84 of the flexible force-transmitting wire 174 is secured at 186 to the vertically oscillatable arm 42; see FIG. 3.

When the arm 42 is at its uppermost position as shown by solid lines in FIG. 3, the flexible force-transmitting wire 172 will :be urged forwardly causing comparable movement to the denesting blade 162 to deform the adjacent Wall of the lowermost article A off of a fixed lip 148. When this occurs, the suction cups 74 will be in their uppermost, vertically extended position to engage beneath the lowermost article A and accordingly be effective to retain the article A thereon. Downward movement of the arms 42 and 44 will result in the lowermost article A being drawn off the fixed lip 118; it being observed that the opposite side wall portion of the article A was displaced off of the fixed lip 148.

As the arm 42 moves downwardly toward the phantom line position as shown in FIG. 3, the reciprocable denesting blade 162 will be drawn rearwardly of the fixed support lip 1'48 and the next lowermost of the article of the stack S will accordingly be supported on the fixed lips 1 18 and 148.

Briefly reviewing the operation, hopper means 116 is adjusted to conform to the particular size of articles to be denested. The frame 114 is then adjusted by operating the apparatus manually, for example, to assure that the suction cups 174 properly engage the bottom wall of the lowermost article A. In the event the denesting mechanism 120 is being used on the apparatus, the apparatus is then in its proper condition for operation, i.e., articles are removed from the bottom of the stack S when the parts are in the solid line position shown in FIG. 3 and subsequently the articles can be disposed in an upwardly open condition on the conveyor 14.

Thus there has been disclosed and described in detail an improved article denesting apparatus which fully conforms with the objects of the invention heretofore set forth.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention and therefore the invention is not limited to what is shown in the drawings and described in the specification, but only as indicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Denesting apparatus for dispensing nested articles one-'by-one, comprising a support frame; article hopper means on said frame for supporting an inverted vertical stack of articles, said hopper means defining a vertical path of travel for articles supported therein; a stack-support assembly on said frame including support lip means extending into said vertical path of travel, an extendable abutment means reciprocably mounted on said support lip means for deforming a lowermost article from off said support li-p means; article transport means positionable into said vertical path of travel of said articles for engagement with the lowermost article deformed off said lip means and removing it to a position therebeneath; and synchronizing force-transmitting means connected between said extendable abutment means and said article transport means for causing an article to be displaced off said lip means when said article transport means is in an effective article-receiving position, said article transport means including a displaceable head for engaging and withdrawing said lowermost article from said hopper means after it has been displaced off said lip means, said support frame including a vertically adjustable portion upon which said support lip means is mounted for adjusting the same vertically with respect to the effect of article-receiving position of said article transport assembly, said vertically adjustable portion comprising a support plate pivoted at one end on said support frame, said support plate including an adjustable abutment at another end and in engagement with said support frame.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which said article transport assembly includes suction cup means for engaging and holding a lowermost article being removed, said arti cle-transport head assembly including control means effective to control the orientation thereof and effective vacuum in said suction cup means.

3. The structure of claim 1 in which said transport assembly includes pivotally mounted arm means pivotally mounted on said support frame on a horizontal axis substantially spaced from said article hopper, said head assembly being journalled for pivotal movement on said arm means on the end of said arm means remote from the pivotal axis thereof and substantially beneath the vertical path of travel of said hopper means.

4. The structure of claim 3 in which said head assembly includes a gear segment concentric to the axis of pivotal movement of the head assembly, said support frame including an arcuate gear rack concentric to axis of pivotal movement of said arm means.

5. The structure of claim 3 in which said article transport assembly includes suction cup means for engaging and holding a lowermost article being removed, said article-transport head assembly including control means effective to control the orientation thereof and effective vacuum in said suction cup means.

6. The structure of claim 1 in which said synchronizing force transmitting means comprises an elongated flexible force transmitting element for transmitting axial movement therethrough.

7. The structure of claim 6 in which said transport assembly includes pivotally mounted arm means; said head assembly being pivotally mounted on said arm means, said flexible force transmitting means being connected between said arm means and said extendable abutment means.

'8. The structure of claim 3 in which said head assembly comprises a tubular support shaft having at least one suction cup element mounted thereon and communicating with the interior thereof, said support shaft being journaled on and rotatable with respect to said arm means, a fluidapressure coupling on one end of said shaft, said fluid-pressure coupling including an arcuate vacuum inlet portion and an air inlet portion each concentric to the axis of rotation of said shaft, said shaft including an inlet portion alternatively communicable during rotation with said arcuate inlet or air inlet portions.

'9. The structure of claim 1 in which said support lip means comprises a pair of juxtaposed support plates, one of said plates projecting into said vertical path of travel, said other plate comprising said extendable abutment means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,229,733 6/1917 Errett 221-3 6 1,795,267 3/1931 Stuart 74-501 1,942,885 1/1934 Tevander '221211 2,954,900 10/1960 Bruba-ker 2*212:11 2,976,659 3/11961 Flanagan et al. 22121.1 3,091,362 5/ 1963 Robinson 22l36 RAPHAEL M. LUPO, Primary Examiner. 

1. DENESTING APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING NESTED ARTICLES ONE-BY-ONE, COMPRISING A SUPPORT FRAME; ARTICLE HOPPER MEANS ON SAID FRAME FOR SUPPORTING AN INVERTED VERTICAL STACK OF ARTICLES, SAID HOPPER MEANS DEFINING A VERTICAL PATH OF TRAVEL FOR ARTICLES SUPPORTED THEREIN; A STACK-SUPPORT ASSEMBLY INTO SAID VERTICAL PATH OF TRAVEL, AN EXTENDABLE EXTENDING INTO SAID VERTICAL PATH OF TRAVEL, AN EXTENDABLE ABUTMENT MEANS RECIPROCABLY MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT LIP MEANS FOR DEFORMING A LOWERMOST ARTICLE FROM OFF SAID SUPPORT LIP MEANS; ARTICLE TRANSPORT MEANS POSITIONABLE INTO SAID VERTICAL PATH OF TRAVEL OF SAID ARTICLES FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH THE LOWERMOST ARTICLE DEFORMED OFF SAID LIP MEANS AND REMOVING IT TO A POSITION THEREBENEATH; AND SYNCHRONIZING FORCE-TRANSMITTING MEANS CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID EXTENDABLE ABUTMENT MEANS AND SAID ARTICLE TRANSPORT MEANS FOR CAUSING AN ARTICLE TO BE DISPLACED OFF SAID LIP MEANS WHEN SAID ARTICLE TRANSPORT MEANS IS IN AN EFFECTIVE ARTICLE-RECEIVING POSITION, SAID ARTICLE TRANSPORT MEANS INCLUDING A DISPLACEABLE HEAD FOR ENGAGING AND WITHDRAWING SAID LOWERMOST ARTICLE FROM SAID HOPPER MEANS AFTER IT HAS BEEN DISPLACED OFF SAID LIP MEANS, SAID SUPPORT FRAME INCLUDING A VERTICALLY ADJUSTABLE PORTION UPON WHICH SAID SUPPORT LIP MEANS IS MOUNTED FOR ADJUSTING THE SAME VERTICALLY WITH RESPECT TO THE EFFECT OF ARTICLE-RECEIVING POSITION OF SAID ARTICLE TRANSPORT ASSEMBLY, SAID VERTICALLY ADJUSTABLE PORTION COMPRISING A SUPPORT PLATE PIVOTED AT ONE END ON SAID SUPPORT FRAME, SAID SUPPORT PLATE INCLUDING AN ADJUSTABLE ABUTMENT AT ANOTHER END AND IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SUPPORT FRAME. 